Wrexham

Wrexham's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census show there were changes in religion and health.

The population passed 130,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Wrexham increased by 5.0%, from just over 128,000 to 135,000.

The addition of just under 6,400 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of Wales (up 5.5% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wrexham was home to, on average, 1.9 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Fall in proportion of Welsh speakers

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Wrexham fell from 14% to 13% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

There are 1,236 fewer people living here who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 6,637.

In nearby Flintshire, 13% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 14% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 21% to 19%.

Monmouthshire was one of the few areas that saw an increase in the proportion of Welsh speakers (from 9.0% in 2001 to 9.9% in 2011), while Carmarthenshire saw the largest fall (from 50% to 44%).

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was lower than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

More single parents

This area saw Wales' second-largest rise in the proportion of single-parent households.

In 2011, just over one in nine (11%) households in Wrexham had a single parent, compared with 9.7% in 2001. The percentage with a married couple decreased from 39% to 35%.

The largest increase occurred in Rhondda Cynon Taf (from 12% to 13%).

The percentage of households with a single-parent was lower than across Wales

Percentage of households that that had a single parent across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Changes in family structure

This area saw Wales' second-largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just under one in nine (11%) households in Wrexham had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 12% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 30% to 30%.

The largest decrease occurred in Gwynedd (from 10% to 9.3%).

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was higher than across Wales

Percentage of households that where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Religion in Wrexham

The number of people in Wrexham that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 19,000 in 2001 to about 37,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 27% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across Wales (from 19% to 32%).

The number of people in Wrexham that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 99,000 in 2001 to just under 86,000 in 2011 (from 77% to 63%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 9,600 to about 10,000. Both of these figures represented about 7.5% of the total population at the time of the 2001 and 2011 censuses.

About 860 people (0.3%) said they were Muslim, up from about 340 in 2001 (0.6%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Wrexham increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Flintshire and Wrexham by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Wrexham residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11% to 6.2% in the decade to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (80%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of Wrexham residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to Flintshire (from 9.8% in 2001 to 5.7% in 2011). Across Wales, the proportion fell from 12% to 7.6%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wrexham decreased by 5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wrexham, Flintshire and Wales said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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